Closure



- March 18, 1930. F, R. EAGLESVFIELD v 5 CLOSURE Filed Nov. 18. L926 Patented Mar. 18, 1930 UNITED STATES I'D-ED125101 PATENT OFFICE Comm, NILES, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN cnosman Application filed November 1a, 1926. Serial m 149,075.

The present invention relates to closures of the type having sealing or insulating means, such as used in refrigerator doors and, the like.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a novel closure or door comprising relatively movable members rovided with facings and insulating or sea ing means or both so cooperating t erewith as to form a sealing contact from one to the other of the facings when the door is closed. The facings are preferably of. sheet material, such as sheet metal and attached or secured to the adjoining faces of the door members, such as the frame and the door itself. The insulating or sealing means, which may be in the form of liners, are preferably arranged to alternate with each otherfrom one facing to the other and also preferably at alternate points or lines on each member, such that when the door is; closed, the liners on the door may contact-seal with the facing on the frame, and those on the frame may contactseal with the facing on the door. The fac 26 ings are preferably formed with one or more interruptions, as by making the facings with sections with spaced edge portions to form such interruption or interruptions. The insulating member may be located in or at such interruptions and held in place by the edge portions of the sections or, as in a speci c embodiment, by raised flanged portions at the edgesof the sections with portions, such as flan portions, of the liners being'heldbehin or beneath said flanges, and with the liners extending from such interruptions preferably laterally with reference to the plane of the facing, so as to be able to engage with a sealing contact with the face of an opposed facin and preferably in break- -joint relation or a ternate with the interruptions of the latterifac'ing. r

' The-'nvention also comprehends'the forming -of. the adjoining faces of the door and frame of a tortuous contour, or, as. in a speclearly-shown in'the drawings.

cific illustrative embodiment, in ste ped form or shape, and with sheet material such as sheet metal, facings therefor with the insulating means at alternate steps of each, such that they-will be located on one in alternate relation with those on the opposed steps. A channel may be inter osed in either mem her, with an associated projection or rib on the opposed member, in order to produce a more tortuous course between the adjoining faces of the door structure. 7

Other objects, advantages, capabilities and features are comprehended by the invention as will later appear and are inherently possessed thereby. p v

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a fragmentary horizontal or vertical sectional view throu h a closure constructed in accordance with t e'invention. .7

Fig. 2 is a similar view of an alternate form.

And, Fig. 3 is a perspective fragmentary view showing the form of sealing means used in this'invention. i 1

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, the embodiment selected to illustrate the invention is shown in connection with a refrigerator door comprising a wall or frame -member 1 secured in any suitable manner to wall members 2and 3 providing a space therebetweenffor heat insulation material 4 and a spacing element 5. p Y

To the'inner and outer faces of the wall and tothe frame member 1 may bezsecured, in any suitable manner, facing strips 6 and 7 as The .door may be similarly constructed and comprises. frame member 8 secured to spaced wall members 9 and 10 in any suitable manner, and to provide a space therebetween for the inclusion of suitable heat insulating.ma-'

'terial 11. The inner and outer walls of the 4 door may also be provided with spacin elements or strips 12 and. 13 as clearly s own in the drawings. v

The adjoining faces of thedoor and door frame are preferabl of tortuous form or fthe steps, as well as the surfaces of the faces connecting these steps are preferably covcred with sheet metal sections and 21 on the members 1 andw7 and with similar sheet d metal facing sections 22 and 23 upon the door members 8 and 13. Similarly sheet metal members may be secured to and cover the strips 6 and 13 by sheet metal sections 24 and 25 as shown. T ese sections may be secured in place by any suitable mechanism, such as nails or the li re, as shown, the same being driven into the members 1 and 7 of the wall frame portion and 8 and 13 of the door structure.

It will be noted that these sheet metal members extend around the edges of the door and the frame of the door to form a continuous metal facing for each. The sections are so arranged and located with the edges of adjacent sections spaced from'each other, these edges being preferably in-the form of raised or laterally bent flanges 26 and 27 to provide channels or spaces between these flanges and the surface of the members 1 or 8 as the case may be. These channels extend around the door and the frame. It will be noted that one of these interruptions is provided on the,

step 19 of the door,'while another is rovided on the step 1503f the wall frame, an still another upon the overlapping part of the strip 13, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. In this way the interruptions are located at alternate points upon one of the memberssuch as the door, and they alternate or break-joint with the interruption on the wall frame member 1. Within each of these interruptions is located a yieldable insulatin liner, such as rubber or the like, having anged portions 28 and 29 adapted to .fit snugly into the channels behind the flanges 26 and 27, and be held firmlyin position thereby. The liner also hasa body portion 30 extendin laterally from the facing and forming a head portion 31 adapted to engage with a sealing contact with an opposing smooth face part of a facing section. As for example, the liner on the step 19 will engage with the facing 16, when the door is closed. Similarly, theliner on the step 15 will engage with the facing on the step 18 of the door. Also the liner on the overlapping part or step 17 will engage with the metal facing secured to the facing strip 7 of step 14. In this way multiple sealing contacts may be effected. While three of these are shown in the illustrative embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention compre-v members to in said interruption tions, metal relation with those of shown upon interfere with the use of the door. When the door is closed, the heads 31 of the liners will engage with the opposed faces of the facing sections and form a close contact therewith so as to seal the space between the door and oor frarn e against the passage of air, as well as insulating against the transmission of heat or cold. The liners will also act as resilient prevent sudden impacts of door closings.

Fig.2 is constructed in accordance with the structure of Fig. 1 but differs therefrom by having the tortuous path between the door and the frame more tortuous by the provision therein of a channel 32 in which may extend a projecting portion 33 forming a part of the door frame member 8'. In this case the liner may be located in an interruption on the step 34 forming a part of the frame member 1 and adapted to engagewith the end 35 of the projection or rib 33, the rib portion 35 acting as a step or overlapping portion. In other reof parts, features and constructions without departing from the spirit thereof.

Iaving thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. I11 a closure device having relatively movable parts, sheet material facings for said parts, and insulating means carried by the facing of one of said parts and adapted to form a sealing contact with the facing of the other of said parts.

2. In a closure device having relatively movable parts, sheet material facings for said parts, and an insulating member secured to the facin on one of said'parts and engagcable with a sealing contact with the facing of the other of said parts. i

3. In a closure device having relatively movable parts, sheet material facings for said parts, the facing on one of said parts having an interruption, an insulating means and adapted to en a e with a sealing contact with the facing o the other of said parts.

4. In a closure device comprising relatively movable parts having-overlapping porterruptions in said interruptions of one facing mJbreak-joint the other facing, a d sealing means in sai adapted to engage opposed facings between the interruptions therein. l

facings for said portions, in-- facings arranged. with the,

dinterruptions a l d 7. A sealing device for closures comprising a door frame and a door therefor, the adjoining faces of said frame and door being stepped, sheet metal facings covering said stepped faces, yieldable insulating means at alternate ste s of the door and at alternate steps of the 'rame and alternating with each other, each insulating means contacting the opposed facing with a sealing contact.

8. A sealing device for closures comprising a door frame and'a door therefor, the adjoining faces of said frame and doorbeing stepped, sheet metal facings covering said stepped faces, said facings having in-@ terruptions at alternate steps and arranged with those of the steps of t e door alternating with those of the frame, and insulating members in said interruptions and adapted ,to form sealing contacts with the facinigs on the opposed steps when the door is c osed,

9. A sealing device for closures compris- 12. A sealing means for doors, comprising a sheet metal facing comprising sections having spaced and flanged edge portions to form an interruption in said facing, a yieldable insulating member in said interruption and having portions held behind said flanges and a sealing portion extending therefrom and adapted to form a sealing contact with an opposed facing when the door is closed.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this s ecification. FREDERIC R. EAGLESFIELD..

ing a door frame anda door therefor, the

adjoining faces of said frame and door being stepped, sheet metal facings covering said steppedfaces, said facings-having interruptions at alternate steps and arranged with those of the steps of the door alternating with those of the frame, said facings at the inter-- ruptions having raised flanges, and insulating members havin flanged portions held between said raised ange and said faces and extending from said interruptions for making sealing contacts with the oppo'sed facings when the door is closed. I

10. A sealing means for doors, comprising a sheet metal facing having an interruption, raised flanges at said interruption, yieldable sealing means held beneath said flanges and having a sealing portion extending beyond the facing for making sealing contact with an opposed facing when the door is closed.

11. A sealing means for doors, comprising a sheet metal facing comprising sections having spaced edge portions to. form an'interruption in said facing, an insulating member in said space and held in position by said spaced edge portions, said member extending laterally from the facing to contact with an opposed facing when the door is closed. 

